


To Feburary

by zyyntax



Category: Taiyuu OCT, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Multi, Other, i'm suffering, no beta we die like men, oct
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-19 06:35:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29622117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zyyntax/pseuds/zyyntax
Summary: Taiyuu OCT application, along with just my bullshit story. Please enjoy the way too long uncut versions of Merce and co.
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

#### Morning Coffee; 4 a.m.

Merce woke up to the sound of the coffee pot starting. The moon hung low in the sky, stars and other space-ial anomalies of stars were speckled through the sky, generally a wonder to anybody who was _not_ Merce. The boy in question was too groggy and porcupining his time at the current moment to convincing himself it's _good_ to wake up at four am. He sleepily rose from his bed, the icy air hitting his skin as the warmth of the covers slid off his torso. Don’t get him wrong, it wasn’t like he was a night time person. In full actionality, Merce liked waking up earlier. He couldn’t really explain it but it was cold, in the good way. And sometimes, like today, Merce could wake up to the brewing coffee that the house mate, Tsuru, was making after a long day at work. It fit the both of them really, Merce has already a stewing hot cup and Tsuru has somebody to wish him off to sleep. In reality, the only reason Merce was so dazed right now, was because there was just something _different_ about staying awake for the past week into odd hours that even rivaled the house mate, just to study off his ass to be able to finish exams, and now just be able to go to sleep and wake up at the normalist of normal times, at least for the blue haired youngster.

Merce quietly hummed to himself as he blinked away the remaining bits of sleep in his eyes, before quickly turning to his bedside table-- if you could call it that-- and grabbing his glasses only to them hastily throw them on his face. The familiar metal sat comfortably on his nose, and the sensation of being finally awake hit him once more. He rubbed at his forehead, before livingly hopping from his bed to an upright position. The floorboards creaking in protest, but Merce paid little mind to it. Merce was already moving on to the next thing he had to do, surveying the room for the final time that day. It was dark, and the smell of the previously mentioned coffee was yet to fully enter the location, making the room smell like it usually did in the mornings-- like pine trees and of course the sensation of being alone in a cold room, a cold room that was loved and dearly held to the highest degrees of praise by its inhabitants, but a cold lonely room nevertheless. 

Merce let out a grunt, before stretching his arms and twisting his body. He then swung his body forward, before finally straightening out again.

Apparently he always did that-- as what Sachi, or Sachiwara would say. The old grump would sometimes comment on how Merce was probably going to suffer from Arthritis at some point, which then Suzuru would then bash him for “Scaring the poor boy,” the poor boy being 6’3 Merce. Merce, on the other hand would usually try doing it more just to piss off the old man, see how many bones he could rattle in him, to which Suzuru would cry “This household doesn’t respect no one,” in a loud scratchy voice and both Merce along with Sachi would quickly jump to trying to make old Suzuru happy again. 

Merce smiled at the thought of them. He brushed out a loose hair from his eyes, and headed out from his room, into the kitchen where a certain somebody had already managed to call themselves king and sit on the thrown, which was really just a large rocking chair.

“You’re awake, Merce-kun. Good to see you up.”

“Likewise Tsuru-Sama!” Merce excitedly responded, before quickly getting hushed by the mentioned Tsuru.

“Mind the old folks, and drop the -sama, makes me feel old,” Tsuru stated. His voice was calm, from age or from the amount of coffee he consumed on a daily basis Merce couldn’t exactly pinpoint but either way, Tsuru sounded like he was on the brink of falling asleep while still sounding collected. 

He was a 20 something year old doctor, and was the only doctor for a miles round of the small town Merce was staying in. He wasn’t the greatest, as he would have quickly left the city as he often loves to mention, but in Merce’s eyes he was one of the best.

The man was slightly eccentric, brown hair spotted with bursts of grey and white throughout, he seemed much older from his appearance. 

Tsuru, along with Sachi would usually comment on how the 30 something year olds eye bags were the real problem of when Tsuru would get mistaken for a man in his fifties, or maybe even older at times especially on rough days. Wrinkles drew harsh lines under scarlet red irises, the types that weren’t exactly the prettiest but were captivating, if you stared closely enough, or if Tsuru was able to keep his eyes open long enough for you to seen.

The man was well educated, and was probably the smartest person Merce had known. He was well versed in languages, on top of his medical license, and was especially good at picking up different types of meals. He knew all sorts of random information on how the houses were built in the district, and how to unclog large pipelines of water at the base of the mountain top leading to the sea, along with how to correctly predict almost any rainfall. Tsuru himself had actually helped Merce prepare for what was going to come next on Merce's day.

Tsuru had helped the town and Merce so much after he moved into the small house with Merce and the grandparents, it was hard not to look up to the man. 

“Right on Mr. Tsuru!” Merce said excitedly, but slightly more quietly this time, glancing to the ceiling as if to check if the “old folks” were still asleep.

“ _Mr_ doesn’t make me feel any better sport,” Tsuru grumbled, putting intonation on “sport.”

Merce smiled cheekly, quickly turning to the small fridge to pull out milk. 

“Ah- it's all empty, I drank it this… morning?” Tsuru quickly questioned while chewing on a small sandwich with cheese and egg. 

Merce turned to face Tsuru, staring blankly at the man before huffing and reluctantly crawling to the table where Tsuru sat. 

“Jeeze should have told me, I wouldn’t have woken up--” Merce complained, grabbing at a piece of bread and some cheese.

“Hey now, I’m actually doing you a favor, in hero school you might need to eat poisonous bugs, and black coffee should taste about the same as those.”

Merce glared at Tsuru through his glasses, before taking a bite at the makeshift sandwich. “M’ downt weally know what hewo schoowl woulda’ do dat,” he mumbled. 

“Oh I’m telling you, they definitely do that.” Tsuru said, a glint in his eyes.

Merce swallowed down the bread, before staring down the man. “Really? I’ve never heard of that...” He grabbed the coffee before chugging it down. “What _hero_ school would do that?” 

“All sorts of them-” Tsuru paused, thinking for a moment. “If you don’t believe me go up to your instructors and ask em’ yourself,” he finally added on, before grabbing at another piece of bread.

“Do you think they would answer me? I feel like that's private information.” 

“Course’ they would, thats like asking a undercover cop if they are a undercover cop- they have to answer truthfully.”

Merce blinked in surprise, before thinking for a moment. “Are you _sure?”_

Tsuru grinned, laughing to himself. “Course I’m sure! When have I not been sure?”

Merce paused, almost shocked. If Tsuru was sure well- 

The sound of footsteps broke the hero hopefuls train of thought. The creek of the stairs always was able to make him shiver, something he always had, according to Sachiwara. Even before Tsuru had moved into the room next to Merce, even though Merce didn’t exactly remember a time like that. The footsteps were small, and closer to the pitter patter of summer rain drops, in comparison to the shuddering of the stairs. Tsuru let out a grunt before sheepishly turning away from the visible view of the steps.

“Tsuru-san, stop feeding stupid ideas into that boys mind,” the voice lectured, belonging to the woman who was currently heading slowly down the steps. “You’re going to rot his poor heart you know that right?” The lady said again, the lady being Suzureru. She peeked her head out the corner of the steps, before slowly appearing fully to the two. 

“Just having a bit of fun Reru,” Tsuru smiled, shrugging his shoulders as he turned to face Suzureru.

Merce looked between the two, slightly confused about their conversation,rabb before widening his eyes and stumbling up from the chair. “Uhm-- do you need any help Suzure-san?” He said quickly walking over towards the old lady. 

“All ways the gentleman,” Suzureru chuckled, leaning towards Merce for help through the small kitchen.

“Show off” Tsuru absent-mindedly said.

“Not hard to be nice.” Merce snapped back. 

“Boys!” Suzureru firmly said, hushing the two to spewing insults within only their minds at one another. “They get big but never grow up,” Suzureru added on, shaking her head with a quiet _tsk tsk tsk_. The two sheepishly glanced side to side, avoiding to make any sorts of eye contact. 

A comfortable silence filled the room after that. Suzureru had been seated with Merce and Tsuru, and was gently nursing a hot cup of coffee-- without milk but some sweetened condensed milk Tsuru had hidden away who knows where, which was saved for special occasions, or of course occasions where most of the household was awake at six am and enjoying a good time together, something none of them usually could enjoy that much between Tsurus broken sleep schedule, Suzurerus love for sleeping in till almost noon, and Merces school days. To Merce he considered this to be a very special day, aside from Taiyuu of course, but more for how they all gathered together. Along side how Merce was able to taste the sweet tangy flavor of the condensed milk. 

“Are you excited for your exam ?” Tsuru finally said, breaking the gentle blanket of quiet that surrounded the room, aside from the clanking of spoons against cups and the soft clunk of cups being placed down to the table. 

Merce finished off his drink, setting it down to the table before glancing upwards to think. “Maybe.” He said definitively, or at least as much as “maybe” can be definitive. “I’m excited to meet knew people I think.” He said, a smile growing on the students face as he imagined the possibilities of new comers. “But I haven’t even been accepted yet- so I don’t think that me being excited should matter or not.” He paused, feeling out the words on his tongue. “I’m excited for when I get there- I think. To taiyuu I mean.” He finalized, a glint in the corners of his eyes so bright they almost were reflecting against the glass of the pair of shades he wore.

Suzureru hummed, before neatly patting her skirt. “You shouldn’t be late then.” She said. Her voice was warm, though it's usually like that, this time it had a certain ring to it which gave off the impression that she knew. She said those words in a way only a woman who lived a long life could speak. 

Merce paused, before quickly shuffling through his pockets to try to find some sort way to tell the time. He mentally shunned himself after he realized that the phone that would usually sit in his pants was still left on his bedside table probably charging… 

Hopefully charging. 

“Six thirty, on the dot.” Tsuru absentmindedly said, staring at the clock that hung low on his wrist. 

“Ah shit- thank you!” Merce said, his voice starting to sound more hurried. “I should get going then shouldn’t I?” He raised his shoulders, before dashing from the table and into his room. 

Suzuru stared as he ran out of the kitchen, before softly laughing to herself. 

“What a kid.” Tsuru chuckled along with her. 

“What a kid for sure.” She said, her voice filled with murth and hints of proudness.

~~~~(▼ω▼)~~~~

Merce spent a bit more time than he would normally on buckling up his shoes. They were dark leather hiking boots Sachiwara had surprised him with a bit back on a camping trip the two were going on, and they were some of the most prized possessions Merce had, at that given moment. They were stiff and yet somehow very flexible, and the soles were so thick that he was a few centimeters higher than what he normally was. They stretched up to his calves, and though sometimes a hassle to fully get on, they did the job of staying on his feet _very_ well. A bit too well if you asked Tsuru. 

Merce carefully strapped up every buckle that went up the boot, feeling as the shoe was more and more sturdy on his leg. 

It was almost therapeutic, really. He started to feel almost queasy, his stomach bubbling not in the best way. The click of each buckle was familiar, and a calming sound. It wasn’t really the type of click that was expected, but it was the type of click that was very approachable. The type that wasn’t too loud where it would overwhelm every sense in your body, and yet also not too quiet to where it left an eerie feeling. 

Merce finished fully buttoning up his shoes, before hopping up and checking his pockets. _Phone, pencil, sanitizer, eraser, weird box--_ Merce paused, before patting his pant leg again. The box was missing. 

Sweat started to draw at his forehead as he turned around trying to look at the ground if it had possibly fallen out of his pocket earlier. He spun a few times, his head starting to feel dizzy and heat climbed to the top of his chest. Everything suddenly felt a bit to close-- a bit too condensed. His shirt seemed way too tight, and his arm felt uncomfortable and weird. 

“Box?” A voice came to the bewilderment of Merce. His heart almost stopped at once as he redirected his attention to Suzuru. 

She held out a shaky hand, with the box sitting neatly in the middle of her palm. Merce almost shouted out in grace at the moment of the sight of the box. He grabbed at it, before clasping Suzuru’s hand.

“You don’t need to worry Merce-chan.” Suzuru said softly, letting Merce hold her hand. “We won’t be disappointed in you even if you need to call Tsuru-san in the middle of the exam to take you home.” 

Merce didn’t say anything, his voice being held captive in the back of his throat. 

“Just do your best- alright?” She finally said, before gently pulling at her hand and placing it softly on his back. 

Merce huffed, his mind feeling still slightly foggy but somehow more comfortable after her words. It was something only Suzuru could do really. Her words sunk deep into Merces chest, warming his body up, not in the way it was previously, but in a more comfortable way. Like a warm bed. 

“Right. Thank you Suzuru-San.” Merce said quietly, before straightening out. He smiled at her, before deeply breathing in. The smell of the house rung through his body. _Safety. He was safe here._ Was a prominent thought that stood stark contrast to any other thinking worm that had snuck inside of his brain.

He tucked the box into his pocket, before turning around and facing the door. In one swoop he opened it, the cool air outside hitting his face square on. 

“Oh before I forget-” Suzuru started. “Buy some milk when you _do_ come home, alright?” 

Merce blinked, even though the old lady wouldn’t have seen it, before nodding. “Sure- that means I can go to the main town?” 

Suzuru grinned, before nodding. “If Sachiwara doesn’t find out.”

Merce beamed, before stepping out the door. He had done this hundreds of times before, and yet this time it had felt like something changed. Like he was really leaving something behind. He gripped at the box he had earlier put into his pocket, before running off towards the direction of the train station. 

#### New friendships rivaling old.

I thad been hours since Merce last saw the familiar landscape of his town. He

lived in the Town of Hotate, named after the abundance of Scalps that stung

themselves to the rock of the beach down below the mountain the city was on. It

wasn’t really a beach- not the one you might see in movies or on fancy

magazines Tsuru would bring back from the city and stash away in his room. It

was rocky, and usually cold. Deep blue water would splash violently at the

shore. Apparently multiple people had washed up there. Along with multiple

people dying there. It was a bad omen in the town to go near, which Sachiwara

completely threw out the window while going for the weekly fishing trip.

“Unlucky is for bastards and cowards” he’d grumble to himself when Merce would

bring it up whenever they would travel together. 

Merce grinned, gripping his bag slightly harder as he continued to watch for the next

train-- the next train to Taiyuu that is. He didn’t exactly know how they would

get to the island on train- but either way Merce was damn near running excited

for the train to come by. _This was it_ he thought to himself, _This is_

 _it! This is what I’ve been working for the past month! Gosh!_ He felt his

whole body almost shiver with excitement. If he had to wait even a moment more

Merce was certain he was going to explode.

“You!” A voice called out, breaking Merces rush. It was soft but yet somehow all too hard at the same time. The syllables were clear and sharp, but the voice itself was gentle. Almost if you mix what Sachiwara and Suzureru sound like.

Merce blinked, even though the newcomer would have never seen this action through his eye glasses. He pointed at his chest, tilting his head at the person.

“Yeah you! Do I look like I’m talking to anybody else?” The person shouted again, pointing at their chest. They were wearing a highlighter orange track suit with a green back slinged over their shoulders. They had slightly long hair, not long enough to be a womans but not short enough to be a mans and they stood at about short height, or at least what Merce thought was short. Triangle earrings hung low on their ears, and green plus signs stood in as iriss’ behind dark rimmed glasses. Their finger nails were painted another shade of neon green, and their hair was multicolored, with the ends of it being the same neon green again and the start of it being a deep charcoal black. 

Merce cringed for a second while scoping the outfit, the abundance of neon almost made the person look… well every very eye catching… well who was Merce kidding if anybody in the nearest 50 kilometer radius wasn’t blinded away by what the kids outfit was well colour Merce shocked.

“Well? Are you going to say something or are you just going to stand there looking shocked at my beauty?”

“I wouldn’t call it beauty… more like appall.” Merce said reluctantly trying to glance away from the person. 

“Jeeze… I’m great… and anyways, shouldn’t you be wearing the same thing? You do want to make an impression on the teachers.” The person said, before scootching Merce sideways on the bench and plopping down next to him.

Merce paused, a strained “humpf” coming from his throat as he glanced at the person once more, “Teachers?”

The person nodded, gingerly crossing their legs. “Taiyuu right?” a cheshire smirk was settled on their face.

Merce blinked, raising his eye brows, “How did you..?”

The person chuckled dramatically, practically falling backwards. “You’re an open book kid!”

Merce grunted, staring at the person again, “Says the person in the neon track suit…”

The person grinned, before hopping up. They spinned, making a few people back away and Merce awkwardly glance away, before loudly announcing, “Three minutes!” and squatting down on the ground. Merce felt his soul retaliate into his body as more people start to walk away from the two. He considered for a moment if he should leave too, maybe to savor the last bits of reputation he had with these strangers before shaking his head and turning to the odd fellow again.

“Three minutes till what?”

“Two minutes now.”

Merce staired at the person, an odd expression crossing his face, “Is it one minute now?”

The person laughed, _this_ time they actually fell back onto their hands. “No silly! Do you know how time works?”

Merce jumped, quickly fetching his phone from this pocket, “I’m pretty sure it’s a minute now.”

They continued laughing until Merce stretched out his phone in front of their face, to which they blinked and quieted down, “Alright alright its one-minute smart ass…”

Merce in that moment he was ready to leave and pretend like he was never greeted by the Neon track suit. As he stood up, the person stood up as well, quickly jumping to Merce’s side. And with this, the two heard the loudness of the train running into the station. The train stopped in front of the two with an ear-piercing screech, and dust flying from the sides of it.

Neon walked briskly into the train, enthusiasm pursing through their blood. The glanced through the train cart, “Ey Glasses what do you-“ They said, before stopping and realizing that the friend they collected while going there was no were near them. They flipped quickly around, and noticed a frozen Merce in front of the train.

“Ey Glasses- lets go find seats!” They said, pumping their fist, before realizing that Merce stood frozen, almost like ice in a ice tray… they grunted, looking Merce up and down before trying again, afraid he might have not hear them talk. “Glasses you coming the trains bout to leave?”

Merce glanced to them, not really up as they were significantly shorter than him, “Yeah I-“ He started, before shutting his mouth.

“Jeeze this got you all riled up huh? Ice is bound to melt anways lets go fixer upper!” They said, grabbing his arm and tugging him into the train station. Merce widened his eyes, before quickly following track suit, as they lead him through the train.

“Where should we sit where should we hm…” They mumbled to themselves, scanning the seats as they passed by.

“Ah we should sit in the back- less people that way” or at least that’s what Sachiwara would say. Merce continued walking, over taking neon by a few steps, and going through each cart.

“Speedy- level five huh?” Neon said absent mindedly, staring to jog to catch up with Merce.

Merce quirked up his eyebrow glancing to Neon, “What do you…?”

Neon grinned, before quickly ducking into a seat infront of Merce. “I call this one!” They shouted, slinging their bag to the next seat.

“Erh-“ Merce let out, before walking into the seat across from neon. “I’m never getting an answer huh…” He said, his voice clearly exasperated.

“Nope number five!”

Merce sighed, before leaning down on the chair seat, “I’m Merce by the way.”

“I knew that!”

Merce blinked, before raising an eyebrow. “Uhm…?”

They paused, before their face practically lighting up, “Appler! Appler is what people call me!” They leaned back into the seat, “Awesome right?”

Merce blinked, before nodding, “You’re like practically a hero already.”

“Right?!”

Merce glanced at the floor of the seat, before glancing back to where Appler was sitting, “Should I-“ He started, before noticing that the kid had already started snoozing off. Merce coughed, sitting back upright into his chair. _I already feel outmatched.. damn taiyuu’s intense with these types of applicants._ He gently took out the weird box from his pocket. _It gets me all excited huh?_ Merce thought, before staring out the window, a smile resting on his lips.

~~~~(▼ω▼)~~~~

If you were to ask Merce what happened in the next few hours after that, he would sigh and look like he was on the brink of tears. The hero hopeful had fallen asleep on the train, and woke up to almost missing the bell to enter the facility. A small balloon animal sat on his lap once he woke up, along with random pieces of scattered confetti. He wondered briefly if it came from neon, but when he went looking for Appler, he found that he couldn’t find the kid anywhere. The only thing that he found was a large auditorium, where he was sat down to do the written exam.

It had taken him almost 20 minutes to do the first page, which started freaking him out once he realized that at least a large handful of students were done with the exam by then.

He breezed through the medical portion (thankfully to Tsurus help), and stumbled though the English section (this time thanks to Tsuru and Suzureru), and managed to get through the math section with… well Merce didn’t think that he got a _fail_ per say…

By the time the exam was done, Merce was thankful for the nap that he had on the train here, even though he was slightly upset that he didn’t see the ocean underneath the water. He reasoned to himself that he would be able to see it once he was getting back from taiyuu, and he prayed that the next few exams didn’t take his entire will to live, or that is to not sleep on the train.

The other students that were in the auditorium with him were separated into a few groups, the one Merce was in had a few random people, including a girl with large horns, a boy who was about 7 times Merces height, and a witch looking girl. The four were ushered to go to a tall, dark, and slightly scaring looking guy, who then gave out each person a small card, with three different numbers written on them. They were all then directed to follow the principal, or what Merce _thought_ was a principal. She was short, shorter than him and was covered in leaves, but ran very fast, which made Merce almost question if this was the beginning of the exam, before they were quickly brought to a large _large_ field.

A forest surrounded the outskirts of the field, along with a big open field. It had a mud pit not far from the field, and a small garden looking thing next to the forest.

The crowd of students were lined up, and had rules explained to them. Behind them was a large-ish facility that had an open deck with a stylish futuristic style to it. It had a few tables and a large collection of random vendors for drinks and snacks. A short old lady that reminded Merce of Suzureru was standing operating a small desk with a make shift “questions” tag stood proudly.

They were then all hushed over to the tables, and a large horn was blown, signaling for the first round to start. Merce in that very moment felt like his whole body had started to shake. He couldn’t deny at this point, he was sure damn _nervous_ . In all honestly he was yet to think about any other… direction of his life _beyond_ going to taiyuu. He gripped at the paper, the crackled of the paper feeling slightly louder than it normally is.

“Eyo! Mercedes-san!” A voice sounded, almost like the crunkle of the paper.

Merce turned, trying to find the owner of the voice, before glancing down to come face to face with Appler.

“Whatcha doin?” They asked peering into his face.

Merce tilted his head, before grinning, at least Appler was a familiar face, also their track suit gave a strangely calming presence.

“I’m waiting until my round starts, how about you?”

“Same here! What do you have? I have 2 3 5. Kinda random in my opinion…” They said tapping at their chin.

“2 4 8, they also seem ran-.”

“Aah- lucky! Those are super good numbers.” They said, interrupting him. They lowered their head in shame, as if they had any choice or knowledge of what those rounds pertained. “We should switch!”

Merce chose to ignore them.

“Come on!” They whined, before jumping up. “Anyways then- we have one round together then! I’m planning on winning all of them though!”

“Oh? I’m excited to see what you do then!” Merce said, redirecting his attention to them again.

“Right?! I’m excited too! God I’m gonna win this so hard!”

At that moment a loud trumpet noise came from a speaker, before some static. Then the voice of Laccadaisy, who Merce was now 70% sure was the principle, sounded.

“By the way” Static sounded, “Give up your weapons!” more static, “Or else you shall--” the tone was cut off before the tall dark character clapped. A majority of the students turned to see what the man wanted, this including Merce but un-including Appler, who was more preoccupied with studying their shoes.

“Turn in all your weapons to the front desk before the round starts. We see you using any sort of equipment you’re out.” He said, turning to Merce.

Merce paused, before glancing for at his arm and Appler, and then glancing at the Instructor.

“Not you Merce…? You’re alright.”

Merce shut his mouth, staring down at Appler. He didn’t have time to think about why he was singled out but…

“What if we didn’t want to turn in our weapons?” The kid asked, poking at the ground, not really in reality.

“Then your disqualified.” The instructor answered simply.

“Then how am I supposed to win?”

“With your quirk. How else?”

Appler stared down the instructor, before groaning and standing up to put away their bag. They quickly walked back to where Merce was sitting, staring down the instructor.

“Fucker.” They mumbled, not loud enough to where the instructor could hear but where Merce could.

“Shouldn’t be so hard you know that’s going to create an unfair advantage.”

“Says you…” They said looking from Merce. The shine they had only a few moments before was completely gone.

Merce sighed, before standing up. “I’m never going to get any answers from you only more questions huh…” He said, before reaching out his hand.

“Lets go cheer you up what drink do you want? Our round is almost here.”

Appler paused for a moment, shrinking into themself more before mumbling, “Apple juice. And I like chips. And gum for the round”

Merce paused, considering how he was getting ripped off at this point, but chose to still go and towards the vending machines. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :| i'm not done i swear.

####  Brevity of a hero… or of a dope.

Time passed quickly while talking to Appler for Merce. Before he even knew it, the round where he was in was starting. Appler had come to, after managing to fall asleep after binging on all the snacks that Merce had bought them. Merce in that time managed to almost completely drain the battery on the Nokia phone he had (which was somehow still managing to stay operating in the past few years, especially considering this was Sachiwaras first phone too).

“Round two…” Appler growled, his face burrowed into Merce arm. A moment of silence passed between the two, before Appler raised his head and stared at Merce, “Round two! Its now!” they said excitedly , jumping up.

“Round two round two roun-!”

Merce pulled at their arm, smiling awkwardly at the people around them. “Quiet down- I think everybody already heard you—” He whispered to Appler.

“Huh? Oh alright!” They said shouting.

Merce sighed.  _ Theres no stopping him. _

“I want them to hear- You know its how the teachers notice you.” Appler said, sitting down next to Merce. They glanced at the two instructors in the room. “Hero-ing is crazy af-“ Yes Appler did say af out loud “and this is going to be the only way anybody notices you. If you scream loud enough.” Appler said, confidence reeking through every crack and corner of them. Merce only stared at them, before looking at his shoes.

“I’m excited to work with you in the future then.”

Appler glanced at Merce, before chuckling, “Confidence is a flaw.”

“Says you.”

Appler grumbled, turning away from Merce, to instead stare down another student. “This school is just super unfair you know.”

“Sure it is.”

“You know-!” Appler started, before abruptly pausing. “Its here!” They quietly shouted, staring at the speaker. And like magic, it gave off an awkward screech.

“Round two start!” Laccadaisys voice sounded, her voice slightly more clearer than the last time.

Merce jumped up, thinking for a moment.  _ Was this really how its going to start? No—explanation? _

“Are we going Merce?” Appler asked, jogging on spot. “You did listen to the directions they gave?”

Merce paused, staring at Appler. “They gave-?”

“Yeah!! During the written exams!!”

Merce paused, looking slightly shocked.

“Did you not listen? Ugh- this is why you’re a zero!” They said, before running out from the room and into the field. Merce reached out a hand, but was left in the dust as Appler ran.

“Jeeze-“ He cried, before sighing. He had a faint idea of what the round pertained. Something with not getting caught with wolves. Well… if he wanted to even have a chance of success he should run out.

A hord of other students glanced as the two hopefuls ran out, before also piling out.

~~~~(▼ω▼)~~~~

Merce had been running for some time. Or at least he thought he had. The forest seemed to never end and the scenery changed just barely. Just trees and dirt and trees. The occasional seagull would scream by him, along with a few song birds that Merce had found quiet pleasant, but beyond that the wood was silent. He started to finally slow down after about a minute more of running. He didn’t exactly need to catch his breath, but it was good to finally stop having to run. A gentle breeze ran past him, and the sound of his heartbeat was finally beginning to be the only thing he could hear. He was slightly impressed with the scenery. He was sure a large amount of students were in the second round… and yet even here there seemed to be nobody. It almost felt like his room when he first awoke. The only difference being that… well he didn’t have Tsuru or Sachiwara or Suzureru there. He paused, gripping his jaw, before turning back.  _ Maybe I should start getting back? _ He thought, mentally kicking himself for not remember the exact time he had to be away from the wolves.

Merce sighed, before turning 90 degrees. He ignored the shiver in the back of his spin as he continued on his way.  _ He wasn’t going to freak out. Not now. _ He thought to himself, reaching a shaking arm into his pocket to pull out the weird box.

He didn’t know how he got it. He didn’t really know what it was either- all just that it was a weird thing and it was… important to him. He didn’t exactly know why that was either.

The sight of the box made him feel slightly better. It reminded him of the morning. It was hard and heavy and probably slowed him down but it made him feel safe… for whatever reason it made him feel… well confident in himself. Like he could do practically anything.

He continued on his journey, taking note of his surroundings. His feet quickly fell into a synchronized beat, reminding Merce of the ticking of a clock. The occasional crack of a tree branch or leaf made for a great background noise as Merce trudged side ways, just to scope out more area. He didn’t know how long he was out in the forest, he could have checked his phone but even then that wouldn’t work as he didn’t memorize the minute the event started… nor did he remember the time he needed to be out there. Merce started to slow down, before halting to a stop and turning once more, this time to what he thought was back to the opening _. _ He swallowed, before picking up pace again. It wasn’t long before he heard the first sound in a minute. It was the sound of somebody moving, which was confusing to Merce as he didn’t see anybody in the area. He turned, spinning around to notice if could find anybody, but even then… nobody. He shifted, before continuing down his path. If they didn’t want to be seen Merce wasn’t going to try and find them.

Merce ran for a bit after that, before hearing any sound. It came from the distant, but loud enough to where Merce stumbled in the quiet landscape. It came and went so quickly Merce almost questioned if he even  _ heard _ something.  _ If they want to be found they will be found _ he thought to himself, before running towards the direction of the noise.

It took him a few seconds to get closer to the sound. When he arrived, he found himself in a field- not the one that was near the exit, but this one was equally as large. In the middle stood a large dome which Merce had to do a double take for. Large spikes stood outside of it, and a gorgeous design of… a dragon? Or something was spread across the ice. He gulped, before noticing what the cause of the noise was. There, in the dome stood a small girl. She had large horns- and Merce quickly recognized her from before, she was the girl in the group when he was assigned his numbers. He widened his eyes, following her gaze to a puppy dog that was made from plants… he remembered the instructor from before.  _ A quirk like that… _ Merce thought, before running towards the area where the dog and girl was.

####  Thinkin’ I could never live without you by my side

“Hey dog!” Merce shouted, as he ran towards the two. He scooped up a random rock from the ground, swiftly throwing it towards the dog. It yelped, glancing at Merce before going back to its craft. The girl glared at Merce, before shouting something behind the ice.

He jumped, before motioning to the dog, and then at the ice, hoping that the girl would get the hint. _Give me some ice I can break off!_ He mouthed, his eyes wide.

She blinked, before glancing at the dog and back at Merce. She paused, which made Merce only wave at her, trying to grab at her attention. The girl shouted something at the dog, before a ice spike started to grow from the ground. Within a flash, it stuck itself out, as if it was residing inside of the ground, making the dog hiss and jump away. Within that moment, Merce noticed another icicle growing from the ground, its spike significantly thinner this time, by still fairly bulky. Within the second, it grew from being far from Merce to being practically infront of his face. Merce- blinked, his eyes widened registering the ice pick, before the muffeled shouts of the girl snapping him from his trance. He reached up his hand, grabbing the spike and breaking it with a satisfying pop, and spinning it around to having the pointy side face behind him.

The dog growled, finally redirecting its attention to Merce instead of the girl. It crept forward, airy breaths letting through its planty mouth. It crouched low, bearing its teeth as if to say to Merce “ _ run run!” _

Merce stood still. His hand was clasped around the ice pick, and his breath was quiet and slow. His heart beat felt loud in his ears, but yet stayed relatively slow.  _ Slow. _ It was almost as if the surroundings faded in that moment. In that moment the only things that stood were Merce and the dog and the ice spike. The spike was heavy in his hand, and incredibly cold. Even if his glove gave him some insulin between the watery spike it still stood rough against his skin.

It took Merce half a second to glancing at the dog again and redirect his attention from the spike.

It took the dog half of a half second to get to him.

Merce violently stumbled backwards, his feet sinking into the grass. It was stiff, but wasn’t dry as he skid backwards. The dog let out a harsh bark, once again leaping towards Merce. He blinked, calmly raising his arm infront of where the dog rushed towards him, before swinging the spike and hitting the dogs face head on. It cried out as it flew back, making Merce gasp and start walking towards the dog. It whined before jumping right back up, as if the hit meant nothing to it, making Merce flail and step backwards.

It growled, before dashing towards Merce. He jumped, to evade the dog making loose leaves to scatter across the field. The dog flaied to a halt, before jumping and looking around to see where Merce was, quickly noticing him.

It once again bent down, creeping towards Merce.

Merce paused, before swallowed and backing up. Whatever the dog might do next Merce needed to run. Run away and make sure the dog doesn’t try to get to the horned girl. He took a step forward, motioning to the dog.

_ If I want this to work… _

The dog only crawled closer towards Merce, its teeth being bared for the boy to see.

And once again, like a program it lept. It rushed towards Merce, and quick as a flash Merce swung his hand, throwing the Iced spike at it. It flung the dog backwards, making it crash to the ground and skid. Merce grunted, his eyes widened. He glanced at the girl, and when he notices she wasn’t paying attention any more, he dashed away, hoping to dear life that the dog would follow him.

~~~~(▼ω▼)~~~~

Merce felt himself almost move not by his own control. The beat of his pads against the mud seamed foreign to him and yet some how so very familiar. It was comfortable, listening to how his pulse felt in his chest, and the clockwork of his feet maneuver through the forest. Every time his foot planted into the soil, it felt as if he flew when it raised. He took long strides, avoiding any wet area, and looking around. The only thing he noticed anyway in the area was once again the abundance of trees, the lack of people, and a random lake he almost stumbled into.

The only other thing he heard was the loud barks and howls coming from the dog behind him. When he left the girl, and started running, it took him a second to realize he should slow down, just to make sure the dog was still able to see him. It took about a minute before the pitter patter and barks of the dog to follow, making Merce almost cry out in relief.

It took about another minute for the two to fall into a pattern. The exchange of feet clashing against the ground made for a wonderful soundtrack, but at some point Merces breath and heartbeat started to overtake the sound of the soles against the ground. This was when Merce finally was slowed down, and taking a moment to glance around himself, he quickly came to the conclusion that once again, he was alone. The dog must have left him be after realizing that Merce wouldn’t be stopping any time soon…

Well jokes on the dog when Merce stopped the second he thought to himself “damn this is getting tiring.”

Merce knelt over, feeling his breath against his skin. His heart beat started to slow down once again, making the surroundings around him start to grow louder and louder.

Quiet started to surround the boy, which was all broken once a screech came from another direction. It wasn’t exactly where Merce was coming from, but it wasn’t from the direction he was going.

Merce paused, glancing up at the sky for a second. A birds flew by, also probably hearing the screech, and Merce wondered if it was a person or not.. or a dog.

“Help me!” a yelp sounded, about the same distance away. It was quiet- but still strained. Merce paused, before widening his eyes.  _ Appler _

####  Fast lane on the beat

It took Merce about thirty seconds to locate his green and orange companion. And it took him another twenty seconds to realize that Appler was surrounded by two small dogs. None of them looked like the one he chased away from the girl as both of them were slightly smaller.

The slightly smaller one barked at Appler, which made Appler only cry out more. They were cornered up to a tree, and the dogs were creeping slowly towards them—clearly taking their time.

“Merce-kun!” They cried, snapping Merce to stare at them.  _ That has to be a quirk _ he thought to himself, as he stepped from his hiding spot.

The dogs glanced at Merce, one of them growling. Merce tilted his head, sighing and for a moment wishing that he still had the ice spike from before. The one dog turned to face Merce, making Merce stagger back.  _ One dog for each huh _ . He thought to himself, before bending over.

The dog barked, making Appler flinch, and Merce stand up straight. A branch hung loosely in his hand, which he then raised to meet the dog head on.

“Here puppy puppy.” He mumbled. On command, the dog barked, and ran towards Merce. Merce ran towards it, before quickly throwing the stick at the other dog.

“Appler run!” Merce yelled, grabbing another branch as he dashed side ways from the dogs. Track suit didn’t need to be told twice as they ran off into the forest.

Merce took a second to look at Appler leave, before turning to the dogs. “Hey there fellas… we can sort this out some other time? No hard feelings?” He said, backing up.

One of the dogs growled as a response.

Merce grunted, taking the growl as a “no”.

Quickly, one of the dogs sprang up, making merce stumble to the side. He turned his body, before realizing that the other dog was just preparing to do the same thing. The dog that sprang on him skidded behind him, hitting a tree. The thud of the two bodies colliding made the second dog finally jump on Merce.

Merce raised the stick, the dog biting down harshly onto it, and Merce swung the stick around, throwing it away along with the dog.

With this Merce glanced at the two mumbling a sorry as he dashed away, following Appler.

~~~~(▼ω▼)~~~~

It didn’t take long for Merce to finally catch up with Appler. The familiar track suit came into his vision within a few seconds of him running. They kid stood stunned, behind some tree, and Merce carefully approached them.

“Appler?” He said, his voice clear as day, which made Appler turn violently around, and quickly snap their fingers across his mouth.

“ShhhSHshsh” They hushed him, making more noise than he ever did. “Don’t talk so loudly!” They said, clearly  _ trying  _ to make their voice quieter but it not really working.

Merce paused, tiliting his haid, “What for?” He said, this time actually quietly

Appler raised a hand, that was shaking, towards something behind the tree.

Merce blinked, realizing that this was the path where he had previously come from. The familiar pond was there and-

He widened his eyes, peering closer in. It was almost not visible. Behind the pond, directly across from there stood… a large creature. Its feet were muddy, and a collection of puddles stood next to it. It was tall- and long. Something about the same size as the trees itself. Dark eyes hid behind a mossy exterior, and dripping mud fell down its branchy shoulders.

Merce staggered, a gasp leaving his lips.

“That’s another one of the dogs… a super dog… a super lagoon dog…” Appler mumbled to Merce.

“What do we…?”

“We have to run across it! That’s the exact way that we need to go to get back to the main field!” Appler said urgently.

Merce paused staring at Appler, “We have to get past  _ that _ thing?” He said, his voice starting to fill with despair.

“yes yes! Okay now so-!” Appler said, before stepping to the side, revealing themself to the pond. “I’m counting on you Merce-kun!” they shouted, pulling Merce before pushing him into the opening.

The dog (or what Appler said was a dog) turned, not exactly staring at merce but… well merce couldn’t tell if the dog was looking at him or not. Merce stumbled, sending Appler a alarmed glance, before looking back at the dog.

“Hi… puppy?” Merce said, stepping further into the opening.

The dog let out a low sound, something akin to a growl.

Merce glanced back at Appler who had already ran away, before looking back to the area the dog was in.

It wasn’t there.

Merce blinked, searching the area of trees.

He was once again alone.

He staggered back, his heart starting to feel heavy and his stomach started to fill with butterflies—or bees.

“Pup-“

The warm breath of something made him pause. He froze, his face feeling all to cold, before slowly turning his head. “Appl-“

Well.

It wasn’t appler. But what did Merce expect really?

Merce let out a yelp, flailing backwards. The dog barked, its voice almost shaking the ground and making the still pool of water start to violently move, something akin to the beach Merce had at his house.

Merce saw grey as he dashed away from the dog as fast as possible, but the beating of not his shoes rang through the forest, as Merce realize that the dog was following him-  _ very _ quickly.

He stumbled through the forest, paying no mind to the branches he broke as he ran. The barks coming form the moss dog made him jump every time that the air filled with them.

The dog chased Merce through the forest, until the boy stumbled across the opening he previously was in. The girl had already left, but the ground was still wet- probably from the dome.

Merce yelped as he ran through the opening. His feet skid on the wet ground, making specks of dirt fly up.

He almost fell, but was able to keep his balance as he flipped around trying to find the dog.

Almost like magic there it was, still in the forest. Merce blinked, as the dog start to circle.

Whatever the dog was about to do well… Merce had to either fight it now or try to find his way back.  _ God I wish Appler was here  _ he thought, backing up. The sludge of mud sounding against his foot prints, leaving a small trail.

The dog growled, and Merce grunted, backing up again.

And all of a sudden, birds started to fly up into the sky from the trees, before a loud ”AARGH” shook the area. Merce ducked, quickly glancing back at the dog. Within that moment, he saw as the neon track suit of Appler fall from a tree. Appler carried a stone, which didn’t look that heavy but with the force of appler falling too, the two fell down onto the dog.

The dog only had a moment to register Applers location, before the noise of the two forces colliding made the dog yelp and fall to the ground.

Appler cried out, as they also fell down the to the ground, making dust fly around them. They quickly jumped up, before motioning for Merce.

Merces eyes were widdend, when the ran towards Appler. The dog whining on its side.

“See hahaha! Now that’s what I call an entrance!” They clapped, before grinning at Merce.

“Do you think its… okay?” He mumbled, raising a hand to try and help the dog.

Appler blinked, and tugged away Merce, “Its okay! I already calculated that!” They said happily, before pulling Merce into another direction. “No harm done to any animals so don’t worry!”

Merce raised a skeptical eyebrow, but chose not to argue.

“We have like—” They said, tapping Merces hand, “way too little time to get back to the main arena.” They said, as they tugged him into the direction Merce  _ thought _ was back to the opening with the building.

####  Can you hear the moon?

Merce stood nervously outside of the fourth round. He managed to meet up with Appler after the kid finished off their second round, which left only Merce to finish this round. Merce was soon hushed away form the first group he was part in, to join in with a totally new group of people. This group didn’t look any less intimidating, and Appler was gone, which left Merce mostly alone. 

Most of the people there were playing on their phones, or idly waiting around. Nobody really struck up any conversation… that is beyond one kid who had fiery red hair. 

The guy was about 5’7, and though he had the same attitude as Appler, Merce by no means could compare the two. While Appler was more- earnestly cocky the guy was speaking as if he knew that he was better, and was okay with everybody hating him for that. Appler was like- a goat. Who didn’t know what direction they were going in but they charged ahead, evne though they thought that it was the right direction. This guy was more like a goat who maybe knew what direction to go in, but chose to go the wrong way, just to make somebody upset. He couldn’t catch what the guys name was, but he did know that the guy was boasting about how well he did the previous rounds he was in. He proudly stood, arguing with some kid who was  _ super _ short. So short Merce had to do a double take when noticing the kid. Merce wondered for a second and a half if that was really a student or a kindergartener who had snuck in. 

“Maybe somebody like you shouldn’t be a hero!” The short kid shouted, their hair flying in all directions. 

“Says the child,” the guy snapped back. 

Merce paused, thinking for a moment if he should step in. 

“Who are you calling a child?” The short one said, glaring into the red heads face. 

“Who are you calling a bad hero?” the red head answered. 

“You know maybe we should-” Merce started, finally deciding to step in.

“Shut it!” The two said in unison turning to Merce. 

Merce widened his eyes, jumping back, “Okay okay!” he said, raising his arm to where they could see it, “I’m just saying you might not want to argue.”

“Yeah, you might not want to argue  _ ginger _ .” The short person said. 

“I did not start anything, for your information.”

“Oh yeah? Than who did?”

“Your parents when they gave birth to a kid whos 3’9” The ginger said cheekily, leaning down to the shorter ones height.

“You fuckin-” They said, almost exploding, “at least I don’t need my  _ parents _ to prove I’m better than you.” 

“Well you might need to actually ask them about that because I’m sure they never taught you that you shouldn’t over estimate yourself.”

“Fuck you.”

“Ohh I’m so sad that you said that.”

“Why am I even talking to you-- you’re not going to pass anyways.”

“Says who? The baby?”

“No the person who at least can admit when they start something.”

Merce stood by awkwardly glancing between the two as they threw insults at each other. “Guys you know we don’t know if either of you are going to fail.”

“Oh so you’re saying  _ youre _ going to pass?” the ginger asked, snapping at Merce.

Merce paused, slipping his hands into his pockets, “I’m just saying that maybe we should be friends?”

The short kid stared at Merce before glancing at the ginger, “Friends? Really?”

“Yeah?”

“Try it, especially with  _ him” _ They said, pointing at the ginger, before turning around, “I dare you. You’re not getting anywhere anyways.” they said, before stomping away.

Merce stared at them as they walked, blinking trying not to think about how their hair flopped behind them. 

“They are going to fail anyways.” The ginger said, staring as the short one walked off, “Especially this round- it's going to be funny to watch as they try to climb with their height.”

Merce glanced at the ginger, before looking down, “You know to me you’re kinda short too…”

“What did you say?” The ginger sneered.

“You know! Height is subjective… youre like a…” Merce paused thinking for a moment. “You’re like a… raccoon” He said, reaching out his hand from the pocket to snap his fingers. 

The ginger looked fazed.

Merce paused, before waving his hand, “It's cute! Raccoons are good, just small.”

“Do I  _ look _ like a raccoon to-” he started. 

“Maybe? Or oh oh like a red panda! Because of your hair.” Merce added.

“I’m neither of those animals you do-”   
“No no I’m sure you are. I wonder if you evolved from them too!”

The ginger stared at him, which made Merce only stare back at him. 

“Do you know what evolution is?”

Merce turned away sheepishly, “I may have skipped it in my preparatory text book.”

The ginger looked like he was holding back a smile, “how many grades did you skip along with that?”

Merce groaned he shut his eyes and raised his hand to his head, “Listen I don’t know how I got through the written exam I asked my house mate to help me but even he told me I was a lost cause.” Merce cried.

The ginger let out cackle shutting his eyes, “Jeeze I’ll be surprised to see you in the class room then!”

“Hey-- Maybe theres some Mercy system you know?” Merce said, a smile slipping onto his face.

The ginger raised an eyebrow.

“Oh- I forgot to introduce myself, my name is spelt like M-e-r-c-e” He spelt out, tilting his head. 

The ginger blinked, sighing at the bad joke.

“Awh come on that was pretty good!”   
“No, no it wasn’t Merce.” The ginger said, turning around.

Merce blinked wondering if he should correct the guy on the pronunciation but decided otherwise. “Humor is subjective.”

“But bad humor will stay forever the same.”

“Okay but a ginger has no right to decide that.”

“Okay but a giraffe has no right to decide that either.” The hopeful said, before sticking out his tongue to point at it.

Merce staggered before opening his mouth. “Ith justh a tongs” He mumbled. 

“Also the fact that youre what- 6 something?”

“That’s genetics to blame you know!” 

“Oh really? Were you’re-” the ginger was interrupted by a trumpet sound coming from the speakers. The voice of laccadaisy came in, slightly muffled and a bit to loud.

“Students! Round four will start shortly!” She said, before static over took the microphone. It was then quickly shut off. 

The students shortly started buzzing around, the once quiet hallway started to fill very quickly with chatter. 

Merce slipped his hand back into his pocket, raising his gaze away form the ginger to look to the speaker. 

Well. Time for round two then. 


	3. *Short Intermission*; Osie's challange.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :D a challenge from ozie :DD thank u for hosting this for the oct! I hope you like my entry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aa here it is!

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...............


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